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Evans: ‘Millwall jibe inspired us’

Date published: Wednesday 29th April 2015 8:03

The Millers went in to Tuesday’s game against Reading knowing three points would guarantee their Championship status next season, demoting Millwall and Wigan to League One in the process – and duly won 2-1.

Any other result would have taken the relegation battle in to the final weekend of the Championship season and Lions’ striker Gregory had stirred matters up ahead of the match by saying he reckoned “Rotherham would bottle it.”

But shortly after the Yorkshire club had sealed a 2-1 win over Reading, a visibly exuberant Evans responded: “A Millwall player said we’ve not got bottle. I’ve got 12 bottles of pink Champagne and we’ll be drinking them all night.

“Look forward to League One, son, and keep your trap shut.”

Evans, speaking a short time later and in a calmer mood, said: “Millwall inspired us by making a comment that we would bottle it.

“My players don’t bottle it. We’ve had too many big occasions that we have come through.

“I don’t think the manager (Neil Harris) would make comments like that. They are people with the highest integrity. I’ve got no doubt they’ll be on the phone to us to congratulate us for staying up.”

Regarding the match at the New York Stadium, the 52-year-old Glasgow-born manager went on: “When you’ve got the desire and fighting spirit inside you that every one of those players have, the staff, the directors, the supporters, then let’s see what they are going to do us tomorrow.

“But we are in the Championship for another year, whoever they are, they won’t like it. They won’t like it.”